good morning. breaking news. at least 18 tourists are dead as a hot air balloon explodes into a fireball and crashes in egypt. the pilot, alive, but injured after jumping from the basket. we're live with new information from the scene. de ja vu. avy snow and strong winds causing misery in the midwest right now. a powerful and deadly storm shutting down highways and several states that were hit hard just last week and now it's marching east. and meltdown. what not to do the next time you miss a flight. this guy's baggage could put him out of a job "today," tuesday, february 26th, 2013.

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a tuesday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. let's start with that story coming out of egypt. it's a tragic story. we're getting the first images of that hot air balloon crash in that country. >> it happened in the popular tourist destination of luxor, about 300 miles south of cairo. aim amon mulhuldin. >> victims include asianit crasn

a sugar field falling from a ball of fire from a thousand feet above. these images on twitter show a group of balloons and tourists as they were taking off just after dawn in the ancient city of luxor. it was supposed to be an aerial tour of egypt's ancient valley of the kings, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. in hong kong, the travel agency that organized the tour confirmed chinese tourists were among the dead. >> what we have received so far from where the accident happened, the balloon caught fire and it fell out of the sky. >> reporter: an eyewitness said the explosion happened as the hot air balloon was landing, engulfing its carriage and passengers in flames. rescue workers recovered bodies,

some reportedly jumping to their death as the balloon burst into flames and then crashed. hot air balloon rides are popular with tourists but there have been some accidents in recent years. this is the first fatal accident since they began offering aerial tours in 1989. the egyptian government now has imposed a moratorium on all hot air balloon operators here in the country. an investigative team has been dispatched to luxor to try to piece together what exactly what happened. they'll certainly question the pilot of the hot air balloon who remains in a hospital in luxor being treated. >> ayman mohyeldin in cairo for us. thank you. now here's matt. a second blizzard to hit the heartland in about a week. the weather channel's mike seidel is in wichita, kansas. mike, deja vu all over again.

>> yes, sir. the second biggest snowfall on record. now the snowiest month in 125 years but the texas panhandle was hammered yesterday, buried under a lot of snow. amarillo had 19," making it their snowiest day on record. howling wind and blinding snow are posing huge problems for motorists in the texas panhandle. several roads are impassable because of whiteout conditions. 12 to 18" of snow and drifts as high as six feet are reported. the national weather service calls the texas blizzard crippling and historic. folks in western oklahoma are bringing out their shovels and struggle with the wind. the oklahoma highway patrol is telling all nonessential personnel to stay home until tomorrow. in the nation's heartland a lot of people are saying here we go again. a second round of heavy snow in less than a week is bearing down on the region and is already being blamed for two deaths.

>> we're doing the best we can. we're going to try to get with you. be patient. >> reporter: patience is the key word as people prepare to get pummeled again. >> more this time. more snow. should be deeper. >> reporter: grocery store parking lot parking lots are full of folks stocking up. >> going to the grocery store and just hoping that we have enough food and where i don't have to get back out in it. >> reporter: quite a few in the area are saying enough is enough to old man winter. >> i'm already ready for summer. >> reporter: it doesn't look like she'll get her wish any time soon. the farmers aren't complaining about the cold and especially the snow. here in wheat country, they're going through a terrible drought. they'll take anything that falls out of the sky. they're loving this moisture. other impacts this morning, 62,000 customers in parts of three states, missouri, kansas and oklahoma, are without power. ahead of the snow heading to chicago at o'hare, they've

canceled preemptively over 200 flights out of that airport today. >> mike seidel in wichita for us. thank you very much. mr. roker is upstairs. al in the open we said that storm is marching east. what are you expecting? >> we're expecting a lot of severe weather to the south, more snow to the north and the west. this is a sprawling system, affecting millions. you can see the spin right now making its way through the midwest, but it extends all the way down -- look at this. we've got tornado watches from savannah down to tampa. that's the stormy side. the snowy side will bring anywhere from six to nine inches of snow. here is the futurecast. deja vu all over again. this time it's staying inland. that will be drawing in the warmer air so along the coast we're basically looking at rain. snow inland. here is what we have as far as snowfall amounts. basically about 12 inches of snow back through northern missouri, up to 16 inches of snow in interior sections of new

england. then down to the south we've got that severe weather to talk about. rainfall amounts anywhere from two to three inches of rain from the panhandle of florida on into the appalachians. savannah? >> al, thank you. now to rome and pope benedict's final days as leader of the catholic church. moments ago the vatican announced new details about the pope's life after he steps down. let's get to nbc's anne thompson at the vatican this morning. anne, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. we now know what pope benedict will be called once he retires. if you run into him, you address him as his holiness, bone addict xvi, roman pontiff emeritus. he won't wear the white cape you've seen him wear as pope. and then those shoes that he's so very fond of, they g he will have to switch to brown shoes. he will wear a pair he was given on a trip to mexico. all of those details are coming out as the world gets a glimpse

of the sometimes ugly gamesmanship that goes on in this beautiful setting. cardinal keith o'brien, briton's highest ranking catholic and its only vote in the upcoming papal conclave is staying away, accused of improper behavior with four young priests going back to the 1980s, detailed in the newspaper sunday that o'brien denied. monday, pope benedict offered his resignation, which he offered months ago, to be effective immediately. >> i hope it signals a rapid response capability that has been lacking in the past. and a willingness to take decisive action against malfeasance, incompetence in leadership in the future. >> reporter: marijuana america's cardinal, roger mahoney, urged by some catholics to stay home, too, because he protected

pries priests in los angeles. >> some victims groups that enough is never enough. so we have to do our job as best we see it. >> reporter: in his last weeks, the pope tried to stop the speculation that dominated y l italian media, saying only he knew the contents of the internal report into last year's leak of papal documents and said that he will only share it with the next pope. allegations that it contains -- the vatican denies that. >> it certainly weighed on him. we put more into it if we make that the decision. >> reporter: now the pope also gave the cardinals permission to move up the start date of the conclave to choose his successor, but the vatican just said it looks like those conversations, those meetings won't start until next week. savannah? >> anne thompson at the vatican

this morning. a reminder, i will be live from the vatican with the special komplg of the resignation of pope benedict starting tomorrow on "today." matt? >> savannah, thanks. now to washington with the threat of automatic budget cuts set to take effect friday looms large. as chuck todd reports, there is no deal in sight. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. not only is there not a deal in sight, there's not even a negotiation in sight to try to get a deal before these cuts go in on friday. instead, we're seeing a game of finger pointing. the president hits the road today, heading to a naval shipyard in virginia, attempting to build public support against a slue of supposedly cuts. home to the number two house republican, eric cantore.

>> we're very concerned about the impact on the common lwealt as we are on all states. >> the president has to lead. congress has to work with him and get it done. >> reporter: no talks or phone calls are scheduled between the president and congressional leaders. instead for the second time in a row, the white house press briefing featured a cabinet secretary making dire warnings about the so-called sequester. >> i don't think we can maintain the same level of security at all places around the country with sequester as without sequest sequester. >> reporter: after a week-long recess, house speaker john boehner had harsh words for the administration, reminding the president that tax hikes will not be supported by republicans. >> the president says we have to have another tax increase in order to avoid the sequester. well, mr. president, you got your tax increase. it's time to cut spending here in washington. >> reporter: speaking in front of the nation's governors, president obama called on every elected official to act. >> all of us are concerned about our politics, both in our own

parties as well as the other par party's, but at some point we have to do some governing. >> reporter: a couple of key republican leaders are coming to the white house about meetings but it's not on sequester. it's on immigration. lindsey graham and john mccain coming here to talk about immigration. no talks to prevent the sequester kicking in on friday. >> with just a few days to go. chuck todd, thank you very much. let's get a check of the other top stories of the day. natalie morales is here with that. >> good morning, matt and savannah. good morning, everyone. defense secretary nominee chuck hagel after republicans stalled his nomination, the former gop senator is now back on track to win confirmation and succeed leon panetta. violence in civil war this morning as a massive explosion rocks syria, hours after president bashar al assad's

regime said it was prepared to hold talks with the rebels. they are unlikely to talk to the government they accuse of mass atrocities. according to human rights watch, the syrian military fired several ballistic missiles into residential areas of aleppo, killing more than 140 people, including 70 children. today marks 20 years since the first attack on the world trade center here in new york city. the car bombing back in 1993 killed six people and left more than 1,000 others injured. the names of those victims are now inscribed at the september 11th memorial and a ceremony will be held there today. a desperate race against time near monterey bay in california after the coast guard received a series of distress calls from an unidentified family, the last one saying they are abandoning ship. it is believed the boaters were on a 29-foot sail boat with two young children on board. crews have been searching the waters off central california

overnight hoping to find and rescue them. and now let's head to wall street, which had a rough start to the week. cnbc's courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange. what's rattling the market? >> it hopes to bounce back after monday, after a stalemate in the italian elections, opposed to that economic reforms, causing concerns that europe's debt crisis could get even worse, rattling u.s. markets. separately, though, home depot reporting strong earnings this morning. home improvement retailer thanking the turnaround in housing as well as all that repair work done in the wake of super storm sandy for those increasing profits. natalie? >> courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange, thanks. airports, as you know, can be very frustrating places but there is no reason to get this angry. take a look. chinese government official flew into an epic tantrum when he learned he had missed his flight -- actually, his second

flight that he missed. he took his anger out on airport staff and two innocent computers. the video has gone viral on chinese social media and now he has been suspended from his post and he faces punishment charges. guys, you'll notice security is standing off behind that rope there. turns out because he outranks the security guards, they were afraid to step in, if you can believe that. >> that and a chair. >> yeah. >> you might be able to say former government official. >> yeah. >> pretty soon. >> i think that's going to happen. >> natalie, thanks. >> mr. roker, back from your all-nighter in hollywood? >> that sounds good. >> well, it's true. >> from the academy awards as well. >> really? thank you. thank you so much for that. >> am i wrong? >> it was an all nighter. >> you make it sound like i was in vegas partying. anyway, let's see what we've got for you going on right now. for today, we have a risk of strong storms, storm watches

from savannah to tampa. beautiful day down in southern california. snowy through the great lakes today. plenty of sunshine in new england and temperatures will be seasonal. we'll get to your local forecast but first these messages. >> good morning. we will start out with some dry weather. rain b likely this afternoon.. high

>> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. in the wake of "argo's" big win, some of those held hostage are hoping that the film will help them. >> oscar-winning film "argo," the escape of six americans from iran is refocusing attention on capitol hill to the real-life iranian hostage crisis of 32 years ago. it's a story for which so far there has not been a happy ending. the best picture oscar for "argo," ben affleck's movie celebrating the rescue of 6 u.s.

embassy employees from post-revolutionary iran is long-delayed justice for the americans left behind and held hostage for 444 days beginning in 1979. >> this is an act of terrorism, totally outside the bounds of international law and diplomatic tradition. >> the hostages went through a horrifying ordeal, brutally interrogated, kept naked in cells in subfreezing temperatures. >> they stood me up, blindfolded me, tied my hands behind my back. >> reporter: then a marine corps guard, twice subjected to mock executions, an experience briefly depicted in argo. >> i thought i was going to be shot right there. >> reporter: other former hostages are still angry over their treatment and want compensation from the government. >> this is the big fish. and the big fish is accountability. that what was done at this point -- they got away with it.

>> reporter: until now the hostage's efforts have been blocked by a 1981 agreement known as the algiers accord that led to the hostages release. they reluctantly agreed that they could not sue their captors. there's a new effort in congress to bypass that agreement. >> it's literally like having a gun to your head and giving up your rights. now is the perfect time when this movie has created so much attention, to educate the american people about what they went through. >> reporter: a bill to be introduced in the next few weeks by congressman bruce braley would create a special $400 million fund to compensate the hostages, using the proceeds of fines paid by company that is violate u.s. sanctions against iran. it will be a relief none too soon for the former hostages. >> people remain upset and every year we're up to 12, we watch someone else pass away.

>> i don't want to go to any more memorial services before this is settled. >> sponsors of that new bill say they are confident that, should it pass, there will be more than enough money to compensate the former hostages. that's because they expect a number of companies hit with fines to increase, thanks to tighter u.s. sanctions aimed at pressuring the iranians over their nuclear program. savannah? >> michael isikoff. one diet that could change the way you eat. and the buzz over google glass. how you can get your hands on a pair before they hit the market. but first this is "today" on nbc.

about why an image of the first lady at the oscars was altered to cover her up. >> more on that. and then the college sheer leader who wowed the crowd with

this, an incredible shot. she will give it a shot live on our plaza. we'll see if she can do a repeat performance this morning. i guess she's already practicing. first a check of your local news and weather. this test paper behaves like the surface of your skin. now watch what soap does to it. ♪ if soap breaks down this paper, just imagine what it's doing to your skin. soap strips your skin. dove is different. ♪ with 1/4 moisturizing cream, dove doesn't strip your skin like soap. ♪ to get your family together for breakfast. [ clears throat ] [ female announcer ] in fact, they might work too well. [ children laugh ] [ female announcer ] eggo waffles. simply delicious. your financial advisor should focus on your long-term goals,

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as this black light reveals. it's durable, cloth-like and it's 3 times cleaner. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to new bounty duratowel. the durable, cloth-like picker-upper. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >>. good. i am stan stovall. usns comfort is cruising out of baltimore for the final time right now the ship began its departure out of canton 30 minutes ago. it has served various humanitarian missions around the world, but it is relocating to norfolk va to save $2 million a

year in operating costs. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> it is getting a lot busier since last check. just prior to potee street, this may start to impact traffic and that area. this is just past the accident scene. watch for northbound delays just potee street.ég west side of the beltway is seeing delays. 12 minutes on the north side outer loop. this is what it looks like on baltimore national pike. this delay stretches back to white marsh. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> so far so good. cloudy skies out there, but does not look threatening.

32 degrees and edgewood, 28 in east and. rain in the middle of the day. it is still a good distance away from us, but around much time, you will see the rain moving in. plain old rain by late this afternoon and overnight. some scattered showers possible tomorrow. colder on thursday. it sho

>> and it's good. that's 21-year-old cheerleader ashlee arnau. the question is, can ashlee do it again? she's outside on the plaza right now and she's warming up. this is her version of warming up there. i get that. that's okay. she's going to give that shot a try in just a little bit. 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 26th of february, 2013. i'm matt lauer, along with savannah guthrie. >> good morning, everybody. also ahead, are you eating enough things like nuts, fish and olive oil? new research this morning on the

diet changes you should make to drastically reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, even death. >> this study -- this idea is not new but it's a big major study on it. >> a study that shows there are dramatic improvements in your heart health in this diet and it includes wine. just saying. then we'll meet a doctor who says death does not have to be the end. it can actually be reversed. let's begin this half hour with a very different subject. first lady michelle obama, making a lot of public appearances recently and drawing some criticism because of that. nbc's white house correspondent kristen welker has more on that. good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. the first lady will be hitting the road to promote her third anniversary of her let's move campaign. but her media blitz topped by that performance at the oscars has everyone talking. people are still buzzing about michelle obama's oscar finale

that no one saw coming. >> and the oscar goes to -- "argo." >> even an iranian news agency covered it, but photo shopped sleeves and a higher neckline. conservative columnist jennifer ruben is critical, saying it made the white house and first lady seem small. >> there is a sense of going too far and too much and becoming so ubiquitous that no one considers you special. she's the first lady, for goodness saks not a celebrity. >> reporter: the white house didn't respond but most of her appearances have been focused on her campaign let's move. on jimmy fallon, sharing a moment with big bird. >> eating healthy is easy and it's fun and delicious, too. >> reporter: and talking hairdos with rachel ray.

>> this is my midlife crisis, the bangs. >> reporter: it's all part of a carefully crafted pr plan. >> it's almost as if her real strategy is a charm offensive that's been intended to build support for her husband's initiatives. >> reporter: michelle obama is working with her team to develop a second-term agenda, something all first ladies must contend with. >> the difference between a first term and a second term really is the fact that you've got your grounding. and all of the lessons learned of a first term now you can pick up and have the freedom to really act. >> reporter: so will the harvard educated lawyer take on more policy heavy goals in the next four years? >> she never wants to distract from her husband's agenda. it's possible she might address tougher, more controversial issues but i do not believe, based on what aides have told me, that she would do it if she thought she was going to cause a

distraction from what her husband was trying to get done. >> as for her oscar appearance, the first lady's office says as a movie lover she was proud to present the award. president reagan delivered a video address in 1980 and former president clinton made a surprise appearance at this year's golden globes, to name just a few. matt? >> all right. kristen welker, thank you very much. i heard mixed reviews on this. jimmy fallon bit to promote let's move, almost unanimous rave reviews on but i've heard a lot of people say i don't know about the academy awards, too close to hollywood. maybe that was one step too far. >> it's a good topic for the professionals, who will weigh in on this in a few minutes. we'll check their feelings about it. now let's head outside to mr. roker, who has another check of the weather. we've got this big, sprawling storm spreading a lot of snow.

look at oklahoma. we are talking about whiteout conditions with numerous accidents, cars stuck, airport flights have been canceled. so, it is a real mess and it is making its way to the east. we'll see scenes like that throughout the upper midwest later on today. let's see what we have for today as far as your temperatures are concerned. we've got bitterly cold air making its way through the central rockies, northern plains, northern new england. you have to head down to southern florida to see temperatures in the 80s. as far as your weather conditions are concerned, look for clouds in the pacific northwest, icy conditions in the upper ohio, mississippi river valley through the appalachians. windy conditions here in the northeast. plenty of sunshine in new england. risk of strong storms from central, northern florida on into coastal georgia. that's what's going >> good morning. by this afternoon, some rain will be likely. there could be some

>> get the latest on that big storm. check out the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. savannah? >> al, thanks. living under the tuscan sun has always been romanticized as a better way of life. and now dr. nancy snyderman has more. >> you may not get the romance you've been looking for but you will get the health benefits. you can get those same health benefits, the ones you'll find in the mediterranean right here at home. there may be good reason if your heart is longing for a life in the mediterranean. according to a study released by the new england journal of medicine, patients who adopted

the mediterranean diet were less likely to have heart attacks, strokes and death. >> the mediterranean diet, plant-based proteins, lots of fruits and vegetables, can really help your heart. >> how did they do it? nearly 7,500 patients with high risk of heart disease, one-third ate a regular diet. the rest ate either a handful of nuts or four tablespoons of olive oil in addition to three servings of fruit, two servings of vegetables and fish and legumes three times a week. they ate white over red meat and were encouraged to drink wine with meals. they all committed to it for five years. it's been a lifetime plan for nutritionist bonnie talb who teaches her patients to follow the diet but also raises her family on it. >> i used to cook kind of rich for my husband. i wanted to try to impress him with good food but then i kind of liked the guy so i wanted him to last a long time so i started

cooking more of the mediterranean style and that's the way i raise my children. >> reporter: for years, scientists have tried to decipher why people living in mediterranean countries have lower rates of heart disease. now experts say the proof is in the pudding or rather the nuts and olive oil. store-bought cakes, cookies and sodas were not approved. >> you want to adopt this mediterranean diet, two major rules. eat in moderation and you also have to do this regularly. it is months and years of a healthy lifestyle. >> the most telling part of this study is that the researchers stopped it early because their findings were so solid and so compelling that it seemed unethical to keep participants from eating the healthy stuff in the mediterranean diet. meantime, researchers stopped a study or really divided the groups into who gets what, that tells you something. >> 30% reduction in heart attack, stroke and death is hugely significant.

>> it is. what's interesting about this, people who they put on the study were already people with high blood pressure, some people were already on statins. these were not perfectly healthy people. they took people already at risk for heart disease, 70,000 of them and said okay, now we're going to look at just the role of diet. and the diet was so significant in this group, it really says something. >> we are not saying diet should replace those drugs if you're already on those cholesterol reducing drugs. >> no. you should stay on them. we were saying, wow, four tablespoons of olive oil? that's a lot. you can do with less. it's the type of olive oil. even if i was saying to you, nuts, you still can't have a bagful. it's 17 or 18 walnuts or almonds. but it's the kind of food you're choosing and it's the moderation of it. >> this study had people who really stuck to the diet and did it for five years. >> right. >> if you weren't that good at it but you used a little bit of oil, increased your fish intake, would you see some benefit? >> the answer is yes.

every time you take a little bit of this kind of diet. and the stuff we have in front of us, which are basically fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken and beans and, of course, you and i love our red wine, you are ahead of the game. interestingly you're not seeing red meat. if you like meat or fish or chicken, the serving size is the palm of your hand. it's not these big american plates. go to europe. what do they do? they eat off smaller plates. >> and a glass of wine per night? >> or more. >> oh, nancy. i know you're trouble. and you'll be back with "today's" professionals in a little bit. >> yep. will google glass really change the way you see the world? and inspired by the looks you saw at the oscars? where to find similar styles for a lot less. first these messages. t it made ♪ ♪ i got it made ♪ fresh at subway ♪ breakfast made the way i say ♪ i got it made

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and we're back now at 7:44 with a gadget that people are clamoring for. it's not even out yet. it's called google glass and mara schiavocampo is here. i want one of these. >> yes, a lot of people do. it's still in the stages of early development. but google has sparked interest. and, boy, have they ever. it's a pane of glass that projects information into your field of vision like a lightweight invisible smart phone. now google is making it available to thousands of people. google glass could change the way we see the world. a device that allows you to record your point of view. >> recording video.

>> reporter: live stream it, take pictures. >> take a picture. >> reporter: get directions, information or translation. and even dictate messages. all through a pane of glass, projecting images right in front of your face. this video, released by google, was shot using google glass and has racked up more than 13 million views in less than a week. technology reporter josha tupolski is one of the lucky few that has tested google glass. >> there's a little piece that goes over your right eye and projects into the distance this little screen. >> reporter: google has been working on glass for about two years. their idea? to have people reengage with the world with their head up instead of looking down at their smart phone. since then they've been testing glass with a small group of

users. google co-founder sergei brynn was spotted sporting a pair at an after party and on the new york subway. diane von furstenberg was seen wearing them. tweet using the #ifihadglass. the response has been overwhelming. despite the interest, google will still have to work out the kinks. >> some of the challenges for google glass will certainly be price. another challenge will be ease of use. another challenge will be privacy. how comfortable will people feel using these devices and recording and sharing moments in real time? >> now if all goes as planned, google plans to release glass before the end of the year. the prototypes cost $1,500 each. the google says that the

consumer version will probably be a little bit less. >> they want us to be walking around heads up as opposed to be looking down at our smart phones. can i get e-mails on this thing, texts on this thing? >> it's designed to shoot photo, videos. you can send texts to someone if you're live streaming but as of right now you can't read e-mails or text on it. re-creating the magic moment on our plaza live. she'll try it, right after this. [ jen garner ] what skincare brand is so effective... so trusted... so clinically proven dermatologists recommend it twice as much as any other brand? neutrogena®. recommended by dermatologists 2 times more than any other brand. now that's beautiful. neutrogena®.

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we are back with the college cheerleader who pulled off an incredible trick shot. >> it's amazing. 21-year-old ashlee arnau from university in mississippi. that's good but can she do it live here on our plaza? ashlee, good morning. >> good morning. how are you? >> i understand you've been trying this all year long at home games and made it on kind of your last attempt? >> yes, i did. >> had you made it in practice a lot of times? >> never. >> it's only happened once in your life? >> how many times do you think you practiced it before you nailed it? >> hundreds of times. >> let's set expectations.

>> since you made the shot, what's life been like? >> busy. hectic, actually. i've never experienced anything like this before, so it's a lot to take in. >> are you ready to try this on national tv? no pressure here at all. >> no pressure. i'll give it a shot. >> what made you devise this particular trick? do you have a follow-up you're working on? >> i'm trying to concoct something, but it's kind of difficult. >> okay. >> don't hurt yourself. there's the ball right down there, ashlee. we'll get out of your way. ladies and gentlemen, ashlee arnau from william carey university. grabs the ball, nothing but net. >> okay. whoa! oh, wait, where did it go? >> you have one more right here.

>> oh, one more shot. >> oh! that was so close. back after your local news. c congratulations. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up. [ all kids ] twooooo! [ moderator ] you sure? i am absolutely positive! [ little boy ] two times is awesome. the thing i can do is wave my head and wave my... that's amazing. i've never seen anything like that.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> we have an accident on northbound 895 at the steel bridge. it is creating a backup. 36 miles per hour on that scene. 28 street, looking at a slow go. delays on eastbound i-70 from approaching 40.29. i-83 n. timonium road, looking

at a backup from timonium towards the beltway. if you want to travel on the north and west side, 16-minute travel time. 20 minutes on the west side outer loop. 31 miles per hour with those delays stretching to the 895 split. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> so far so good. cloudy skies. dry through the drive time. by the time we get into the afternoon, the rain will move in. temperature will get above freezing for precipitation moves in as well. we have a couple of hours before all this stuff moves in. cloudy and dry early this morning and rein in this afternoon. it's there it out with snow or sleet but it will last through tonight. still a few leftover showers tomorrow. high near 46. colder on thursday.

some of these could cut the ground and it should clear up as we head into the weekend. >>

8:00 now on this tuesday morning, the 26th of february, 2013. ashlee arnau is vying the principle try, try again if at first you don't succeed. you came pretty close. let's see. you hit the rim. >> and you say the difference here is that the backboard is a little smaller so it's throwing you off a little bit? >> yeah. >> and the fact that we have cement here as opposed to a wood floor. we've got these people cheering and waving in the background. and i love the fact they keep

putting another ball down and you're like, no more! i don't want to do it again. anyway, thank you for trying, ashlee. >> you're welcome. >> congratulations on an amazing shot at the game. >> thank you. >> good luck in your senior year. >> thank you. >> what are you studying? >> nursing. >> she's going to need it. >> ashlee, thank you. coming up, if you were inspired by the fashions you saw sunday night at the oscars, we've got looks that are inspired by those fashions at a much more affordable price. also, the professionals are in the house, star, donny, dr. nancy. they are going to take on hot topics including telecommuting. is it a good thing when employees work from home? i have met my match, a 9-year-old lad who is in the third grade who does the weather. so we're going to meet him and he's going to do a little forecasting a little bit later

on. >> he has it down. >> he really does. very cute. a check of the day's top stories, natalie, good morning again. >> good morning, savannah and matt and al. good morning, everyone. tourists were killed today when a hot air balloon caught fire, exploded and crashed while firing over the ancient egyptian city of luxor. u.s. embassy officials say there's no indication that any americans were among the victims. for the second time in a week, a major winter storm is bearing down on the midwest. heavy snow and high winds caused whiteouts on monday in texas and oklahoma panhandle. the blizzard conditions are now moving east, closing schools today in parts of kansas. it cou they could get up to two feet of snow. president obama take his budget battle to a ship building yard in virginia to highlight the impact of automatic budget cuts. they take effect friday unless the white house and congressional republicans can reach a deal to reduce the federal deficit. the vatican announced today

that pope benedict xvi will be called emeritus pope and carry the title of his holiness after he steps down on thursday. on monday benedict received the results of an internal investigation into vatican document leaks. the vatican denied that anything in the report contributed to benedi benedict's historic decision to abdicate. former u.s. surgeon general c. everett coop died yesterday. he was 96 years old. a quick roundup of what has you talking online. internet pirates may be shouting arrgh before the week is over. being rolled out sending voice and e-mail warnings to users who illegally share videos online. they can take more drastic

action, such as slowing your connection. amazed at their own power, they have made vulcan, the name posed and promoted by william shatner, "star trek's" captain kirk. vulcan, of course, was the fictional home planet of his science fictional character dr. spock. does something to irk another driver who cuts him off and then the bumper smashes the hot head to teach him a lesson. all of it captured on his dash cam. looks to police like he is the innocent victim. should be called the provoke r s well. it's 8:04 right now. let's go back out to al with your weather. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by centrum.

>> where are you guys from? >> south carolina. >> little school trip? >> yes. >> or just broke out -- senior trip, all right. good stuff. enjoy. let's see what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. pick city of the day, billings, montana, nbc 8. cloudy, cold, 42 degrees. on the satellite, you see the big storm system, snow to the north and the west of it. ahead of it to the south, we've got heavy rain, thunderstorms, a real mess. rainfall amounts anywhere one to three inches down to the south. icy conditions through the upper ohio river valley, into the appalachians. snow showers around the central rockies. look for clouds and seasonal temperatures in the pacific northwest. beautiful day along the gulf coast. plenty of sunshine. more on the breezy side. heavy thunderstorms, northern florida on into coastal georgia and south carolina. >> good morning.ing we will start out with some dry

weather. rain b likely this afternoon.. hi >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thanks. coming up next, "today's" professionals weigh in on the first lady's pr blitz. are we seeing too much of her these days? and where you can find the oscar's red hot looks that you can actually afford. we'll show you them. then jason aldean, as we just hinted to you, there he is. first these messages. [ male announcer ] i've seen incredible things. otherworldly things. but there are some things i've never seen before. this ge jet engine can understand

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whatever you put it on... reaches a whole new level of deliciousness. choosy moms choose jif. we're back now at 8:10 with the new edition of "today's" professionals. star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman are here to tackle the stories that have you talking. good morning, all. >> hi, matt. >> sunday evening they were saying the oscar goes to. i want you to complete this sentence. and the blame goes to, unless there's a deal struck, the sequester goes into effect, $1.2 trillion in spending cuts. in almost every analysis people agree this will hurt the economy, hurt the recovery, might even damage national security. and the blame goes to -- >> the american public for not being invested enough in the terms of what it means, inspiring every one of these

s.o.b.s the next time it comes around. >> the american public not because of them but because of us. nobody in today's generation wants to give anything. nobody wants to work till 67. nobody wants to give up entitlements. rich people don't want to pay more taxes. we are a country now of complete nonself sacrificing. you can't blame the politicians. blame us. >> but blame them for not getting a deal. >> i don't understand how washington works. in every other aspect of society, you negotiate with people, you must sit down together and actually put some things on the table. i don't understand why washington is not doing that. >> republicans and democrats agreed to this idea last year when they were negotiating the debt ceiling. they knew these cuts were draconian. they must have thought it would never happen, it would never come to this. guess what, it has come to this. republicans or democrats, who gets the blame? >> republicans much more. because right now perception and reality they are seen as the party of no.

>> the white house proposed this, though. >> once again, the republicans have more to lose. whether it's their fault or not is different. they have more to lose. we have to look in the mirror a little bit. i really do. >> let's move on to another topic. this one will resonate with people at water coolers in corporations and countries across the country. marissa mayer, the ceo of yahoo! apparently has decided that telecommuting, people from working at home, is not a good idea. she tries to kind of right that struggling ship. i thought this was supposed to be the wave of the future, that had it made for happier employees and more productive employees. is telecommuting a good idea or bad idea? >> culturally in the silicon valley, google, facebook will say come to campus. we have free food, this, that. we grow better by having all of our people on campus. everyone was looking to her as the 37-year-old new woman face,

ceo of a fortune 500 company and she has adopted the boys rule of come to campus. >> why isn't it just a professional rule? why do you think it's the boys rule? >> you think people should have to come to work? >> i may have to turn in my feminist card on this, but the ceo's job is about the bottom line of the company. if she thinks it's more productive to have people in the office that's where they should be. >> people who are able to telecommute are more productive but less innovative? >> when you make a decision to let people have flex hours, they're not doing it because they're nice people. it's because they think that's the way to hold on to better people. she has made a decision based on her shareholders that what is better for my bottom line, i'm not losing that many people. i want people together. >> consider you are one of those people who has now set up your life around being allowed to telecommute. you have kids -- >> find another company. >> you just leave? >> by the way, you're a ceo, you

have a right to make a decision for your shareholders. >> it's called work not vacation. that's what you do. >> you guys? you guys, i don't know what generation, what decade you guys think you're referring to, but let me tell you, the glass ceiling is not only there, it's lucite and it's not being broken. i understand the shareholders, but the innovative female leader and then say -- no. stop shhhing me. and then say to the women on your campus, guess what, we're going to create the best nursery, we're going to bring people in -- >> there are men who telecommute all the time. >> don't be -- >> if you're going to ask to start off balance, start off balance. if you're going to ask for the exact same rights and privileges then you have to start off with -- >> silicon valley, do you adopt these same rules or sit there and wait and circle like a

buzzard and tick off all the great employees who will run? >> they're going to follow suit. >> let's move on. next subject. let's talk about the first lady, michelle obama. she has en out in public a lot. we've seen her do a lot of things. she did a great thing with jimmy fallon, i thought, the history of mom dance. i'll never do that again but that's what she did. then she was at the academy awards sunday night presenting the best picture award. now, some people have started to say this is not what they want to be seeing from the first lady of the united states. how do you guys feel about this? >> i couldn't agree more. she was what i call an uninvited guest. when politicians show up on entertainment shows like fallon, we, the viewers, get to decide whether we want to engage in a politician. she showed up in the two-minute warning effect, at the point where maybe i want more jack nicholson. there was an asumptive elitist quality to it. >> the jimmy fallon, you don't

have a problem with it? >> i can choose whether i want to watch that. >> you can choose whether you want to watch the oscars. >> no, no, no. i want to know who won best picture. three out of four americans will tell you, i don't want a politician's wife there at that point. >> i just want to know if "argo" won. i could care less who is doing it. >> you are putting politics, like it or not, in a space where people are not necessarily inviting it in their home for. >> she is clearly popular with a percentage of the population, and is reveling in that popularity. >> i had no problem with her showing up. my problem was that she never referenced or introduced the members of the armed forces behind her. i thought she looked stunning and beautiful. >> it's a natural progression. clinton going on the late night shows. wait, wait, wait. social media has now infiltrated politics. >> golden globes. >> exactly. we reference twitter as an authority on things and we reference -- i think it's a

natural progression. >> take a hiatus now? >> she can do whatever she wants. don't show up at a place where i have no choice whether i want to watch you. >> this is on the host of the oscars, setting macfarlane. the ratings were up, especially in that coveted 18 to 49 demographic, up 11%. some say he crossed the line. his jokes were sexist, juvenile, the chris brown/rihanna joke. what did you think about it? >> between rape, sexualization of a child while she's sitting there in the audience, i didn't know whether to cringe or cry. >> oscars will not lose their core audience. they made a very smart, calculated decision to get a guy who say song and dance guy, homage to hollywood, but you want to grow, that's what you have to do. >> i thought he was wonderful. although i checked my watch and thought, wow, this is running late, but i loved every bit. i thought he did a great job. did he push the envelope?

>> yes. >> yes, he did. did i laugh? yes, i did. >> the academy got what it paid for? >> and more. >> they definitely knew who they were going to get. they will ask him back. >> the academy awards getting too old. >> hello. it was long in the tooth last year. >> i want to know who won, for goodness sake. >> they're talking to him now about bringing him back. >> nancy, star and donny, thank you. really appreciate it. can you spot the difference? oscar-inspired looks for a lot less. that's after this. phone rings ] hello. [ man ] jen, there are a lot of beauty brands that want you to represent them. really, who? no. they add too much fragrance. no, they make you wear pink. are you kidding? no. nah. [ telephone rings ] no. not my style. no. [ cellphone rings ] [ man ] you might like this one. aveeno®. aveeno®. let me think about it.

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go to bingiton.com and see what you're missing. back now at 8:21 with "toda "today's" style, affordable fashions inspired by the red carpet at the oscars. scouring the rack to find the dresses that mirrored some of the stunning looks we saw on sunday. this wasn't easy to do. >> it wasn't. it's hard to find gowns that looked like what the stars wore on the red carpet for a great price. >> this was one of my favorites on sunday night. >> me, too. >> beautiful picture. everybody can see the look we're trying to attain. a lavender color. >> it was. she glided on the red carpet. so romantic, so beautiful. we really tried to capture the volume of that incredible skirt she wore. >> let's bring out halle, without further ado.

>> we picked this up at jcpenney, you get a piece of that designer. this is $250. it really captures that corseted top and the beautiful start with the endless ruffles. looks so chic, so feminine. >> it has a fancy designer name, too. >> you would never know you could pick it up at jcpenney. >> it's lovely. >> beautiful. >> okay. next look is halle berry. this was a bit of a polarizing look. she looked fabulous. >> versace made her dress for her, head to toe sequins, huge trend we saw at the oscars. capturing this look was really fun. >> let's bring out paulette and tell us about the look she is wearing today. >> we picked this up at bloomingdales for $125.

it's that head to toe sequins feel. it captures that combination of horizontal and vertical sequins you saw on halle's dress. >> better than what halle may or may not have paid for it. >> that's for sure. >> thank you so much, paulette. kerry washington wore a beautiful color, very distinctive look. >> it was feminine with a bit of a twist to it. a bit of sparkle as well. renttherunway.com, for special occasion dresses. >> stephanie, come on out. let's see it. ooh, you really captured the color. >> i love this dress, the gorgeous coral color like kerry's. you have the embellishment at the neckline, which is part of the signature look that she wore, feminine belt and flowing chiffon. this is blue girl, a designer dress. you rent it for only $120.

it's really a steal. >> thank you so much, stephanie. lastly, charlize theron who really rocked that white dress. it had a bridal feel though she didn't look like a bride. >> she stunned us all when she walked on to the red carpet. >> we really captured this look. this is from david's bridal. we picked this up for $349. it really captures charlize's peplum, silhouette, flare look. this is great for a bride on a budget. you can wear this to a black tie event in the summer. very stunning. >> very beautiful. thank you to all of our models. lisa, thank you very much. >> my plsh. an interesting story, a doctor who says death is not the end. it can be reversed. he has some interesting stories to tell. we'll hear about people's near-death experiences as well after a check of your local news.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> from the j.f.x. and the northbound direction and ruxton road, prior to the beltway, you may see some delays. 152, we have an accident. so far so good in terms of traffic on i-7 in just prior to the beltway. if you are going to travel towards 29, expect to be delayed. 20 minutes to get through the west side stretch. 31 miles per hour on 95 out of

white marsh. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> so far so good. it will stay that way into the afternoon hours. 33 at the airport, 31 in parkton and westminster. temperature above the critical 32-degree mark before the rain for our rights everywhere. the rain is coming in quickly. it looks like it will be in baltimore in the middle of the day. don't be surprised if you see sleet or snow at first. some of the rain could be heavy this afternoon and into tonight. still a chance for a couple of rainshowers left over tomorrow. we will drop into the 30's on thursday. it should clear up by the time we had the weekend.

high temperatures in the 40's. >> we are back with another update at 8:56.

8:30 now on this tuesday morning, the 26th day of february, 2013. it's a great day to be here in rockefeller plaza, as these people are waving to the people back home. we appreciate them coming by. and, by the way, you're listening to just one of the hits from mr. jason aldean. he will be here to perform for us in just a little while. i'm matt lauer, along with

savannah guthrie, natalie morales and al roker. >> and we'll take a turn and hear from some people who say they are witnessed death, that they have briefly been to the other side. near-death experiences and also we'll hear from the doctor who believes that death is now reversible because of advances in medical science. it's an interesting claim. we'll talk to him coming up. on a much different note, wedding season is right around the corner and many brides to be may be looking for a little inspiration perhaps from the stars. so randy fenoli from "say yes to the dress" will show us the latest. and a little later on, want to get a jump on spring? we'll show you how to get that going from a little indoor garden. >> have one word for you. terrarium. mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? >> as we shake it up, show you

for today, risk of strong storms down in florida, south carolina coast. look for icy conditions, appalachians up into the upper ohio river valley, snow showers in the central rockies. tomorrow that whole mess moves up into new england with rain here in the northeast. snow in northern new england back through upstate new york. look for flurries in the northern plains. the rest of the country looking pretty darn good with sunshine. four corners will see sunny skies and d >> good morning. by this afternoon, some rain will be likely. there could be some >> and that's your latest

weather. >> all right, mr. roker. let's bring in megan hilty here, one of our favorites, playing the ambitious ivy lynn on nbc's "smash." nice to see you. >> good morning. thanks for having me. >> and equals a little witchy? >> a little bit but my character is turning it around this season. it's all about change personally and professionally to be a better person. >> she's not the slooud ivy we've come to know and love sometimes? >> she's still there, deep down. she's trying to turn over a new leaf. >> from the first season to the second season, how do you feel the progression has gone on? obviously focusing on ratings and all of that. you believe in this show? >> absolutely. it's great. we have so many new fresh faces this season and our guest stars are amazing. sean hayes is about to blow everybody's mind. he plays this amazing character. he's kind of a jerk but -- >> sean hayes?

>> no, no, in real life he's such a nice guy. >> because we love him. >> that's why it's so fun to see him in this character. >> you've had jennifer hudson on as well. a lot of star power. >> you have your debut cd dropping in march. >> i know. >> what are we going to hear? >> it's not musical theater. it's sopgs u it's sopgs s it's sopgs ongs we all love. that's not on the album. but, yeah, it's all new. it's the first thing i've ever done with just me. it's not attached to any character. >> great. congratulations. >> by the way, i want to mention you'll be sticking around and talk to hoda and kathie lee a little later. >> yeah. kathie lee makes an appearance. >> exactly right. big deal. >> fantastic. >> you can catch an all new episode of "smash" tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central time, of course, right here on nbc.

when we come back, a doctor who says that death is reversible. want to hear more about that. first this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:37. in a moment we'll talk to a doctor who says death is reversible. first the question, what happens when we die? >> there was a tunnel. >> i was actually standing in utter brilliance. >> the white light. >> it was a brilliant light. >> a profound feeling of comfort. >> i remember being in that tunnel thinking, oh, my god. it's so nice. >> these have become the hallmarks of the near death experience, a phenomenon usually experienced after a person has pronounced clinically dead. >> they did everything they knew to do how to resuscitate me that

day. i was declared dead on the scene. >> don piper was driving over this bridge in rural texas when he was broadsided by an 18-wheel truck, leaving him with horrific injuries. >> i had an enormous gaping wound in my left leg. my arm was separated at the shoulder. it went behind me into the backseat. >> piper says he was without a pulse for 90 minutes. it's then he says he crossed over to the other side, an explosion of sight and sound. >> i saw a magnificent gate for lack of a better description. each moment becomes more glorious than the moment before. >> he says his dead grandfather stood at the gate, welcoming him home. the whole experience was documented in his best-selling book, 90 minutes in heaven. mary was working at the gym when her life changed forever, suffering a brain aneurysm. she was in intensive care for three days when she took a turn for the worst. >> i remember being in this room with lots of activity and

physicians and then i had the experience. it's a tunnel that's radiant. it's so warm and it's so accepting and god held me. and i remember thinking at the time, i have never known love like this. >> after a miraculous recovery, her near-death experience has given her a new sense of purpose, a new reason for being. >> i have an awareness now that i never had before. >> one of the world's leading experts on the study of death and these near death experiences. his new book is called erasing death. good morning. it's good to see you. >> good to see you. >> let's pick it up there with these near-death experiences. many colleagues in the scientific community who doubt this. they say this is basically hallucinations brout on by lack of oxygen to the brain. but you're a believer for scientific reasons? >> most people, including most

doctors and scientists have a very fixed idea about life and death. they think when you reach the point of death, it's irreversible. the advance in the last ten years have shown us that actually it's only after a person dies that they turn into a corpse, that their cells, brain cells start to die. although most people think this takes place in four or five minutes, brain cells are viable for up to eight hours. >> this is where you have your claim that death is actually reversible, which sounds pretty astonishing. what do you mean by that, though, that this process is long enough that there are methods to reverse it? >> absolutely. we now understand that it's only after a person has turned into a corpse that their cells are undergoing death and if we, therefore, manipulate those processes, we can restart the heart and bring a person back to life. one of the most advanced things we can use right now is to cool people down. if we cool them down, we slow that rate. >> cool them, sometimes this literally means putting ice on them? >> absolutely. what this means to us is that death is reversible and we have to redefine the way we think of

death and life. for instance, we all probably -- i'm sure you saw -- the scene where they find these 1,500 people that are dead in the water? these people, most of them, could be brought back to life again if that happened today. >> i am no doctor obviously but the first question that comes to my mind is at what cost? you bring people back but then they suffer significant brain zblanlg one of the problems we have is that there are all these advances in our systems that are not being implemented. your chance of surviving from this depends where you end up, which hospital you go to, who is on call, which bed you end up at. if we implement these things, people can come back without brain damage. that's what we're striving to do. many people die unnecessarily and then, unfortunately, they end up, if they do come back, with either brain damage or in a vegetative state. every single one of us, this is one thing that will affect every single one of us.

if we don't standardize the care, cooling and other things, we prevent brain injury. >> back to the near-death experiences for a moment. it's something that you say you believe is possible. as i understand it, you're planning to study this. i've heard about one where you want to place something high up in a hospital room to see if that out-of-body experience is real? >> i'm a physician. my goal is to bring people back to life. that's my aim. we have to study what happens after death. the flip side of the coin is that we have learned about what people experience after death. that's why we know when people die, their consciousness is not annihilated and there are these experiences. >> it will be interesting to see the results of that study again. people are interested in a fascinating topic. the book is called "erasing death." >> thank you for having me. how to brighten up your home by bringing the outdoors in. first this is "today" on nbc.

we're back now at 8:44 with "today's" garden, unique ways to bring a touch of nature inside to brighten up your home. lifestyle expert, annette joseph, is here to help us out. good morning. these are all creative ideas. do all plants do well indoors or are there some we should avoid? >> there are some you should avoid because they're outdoor plants. plants that we are going to plant today are strictly for the inside. >> starting with herbs. >> you like herbs inside. >> herbs, this is very special. this is something you can start off in your house and then if you have a garden, you can transplant everything out to the garden. i use this sort of as a seedling garden every winter and i take them once they've grown and put them in my garden. >> you are ingenious. you use just about everything you find around the house and make a planter out of it. >> exactly. i like to really think outside

the box, no -- >> no pun intended, right? >> right. >> these tins come from where? >> these are antique vintage tea tins. all the graphics are so great on tea and coffee that you can literally recycle those pretty graphic boxes. >> how much sun and water do herbs like these need? >> a lot of sun. >> window sill basically? >> i like to put them on the kitchen table. you can even put them in your bathroom. >> here is a terreria, plural for ter ararium. i don't know. i'm making things up. >> put the gloves on. >> little cactus, i like that. >> you have to be delicate with this, right? >> you do. you have to be very delicate with it. and the key here is less is more. we have these really cool -- this is a really cool terrarium from west helm.

you can go out and get this. >> let's start with the basics. you put dirt and gravel? >> gravel, then you put dirt. and the gravel is to help with water. >> what do i do? >> just grab something that you like. >> yeah. >> and start building a cute little environment for yourself. >> okay. >> put the cactus, savannah, in a place that people can see it this time as opposed to hiding it. >> i knew you were going to say that. cactus gate as it was come to be known. i gave a beautiful cactus to matt for christmas. >> but hid it in tissue paper so that when i went to grab it, i bled. >> you know what was great about it? he never complained, never brought it up again. >> how do i get this out without -- >> you literally pull it out of there just like that. just get dirty. come on. >> okay. all right. i don't want to mess it up. >> you can get dirty on this. >> some of the terrariums you have are open on the top.

one you did on a cake platter. it has a lid on it. does it need less water with a lid on it? >> yes. >> there goes the cactus. this takes time and smaller hands, i think. >> it's difficult. i can't even plant my cactus. >> it's not a contest. >> how long will these last if you do it correctly? >> if you do it correctly, water it take care of it and love it -- >> this is going to take more practice. go ahead. jump in there. >> to see how terrible we are at this? >> you're actually pretty good at it. you have to kind of man handle it a little. >> that one plant for that little terrarium? >> clip it down like a little bonzai. it could be pretty. >> show some of the other creative little vessels, if you will. there's your cake platter. >> you can use anything. a lot of people have cake platters sitting out on the

counter. plant it up with something. this is easy if you mist it. misting them is a really good idea. >> this is for soup. >> this is a soup tourine. you could use this for easter really. >> the dirt and gravel are the basic steps, gravel then dirt. >> gravel then dirt, that's right. and then you're actually watering the roots from the bottom up, which is really important to keep them alive. and succulents are really big right now. >> the cactus goes in the front. up next, a live performance from country star jason aldean. first this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> jason aldean burst on to the country music scene back in 2005 and is riding high with the success of his newest album "night train" that went straight to number one on the billboard charts. jason, good morning. it's good to see you. >> thank you so much. >> i read one review of this record that says "night train" plays like a second step in the aldean sound. >> i don't know what that means actually. >> is it that hip hoppy country thing? >> i guess. we put on a song called "dirt

road anthem," a huge hit for us that had a bit of that hip hop flare to it. 1994 has that same sort of thing. >> you're out on tour, sold out madison square garden in minutes. that has to be pretty exciting. >> absolutely. madison square garden obviously is one of the most prestigious venues in the country. this is actually our first trip to that venue. so to come in and sell it out is great. to sell it out in obviously a matter of minutes is even better. >> the song you're going to play to us this morning is a tribute to a '90s music star joe diffy. >> the i just love joe diffy. >> you've been tweeting retro 1994 pictures of yourself, which we'll be happy to show. looking good. love that mullet. >> you're welcome. >> and some other country music

stars getting into it, too. tim mcgraw, keith urban, diers bentley. >> we've been having fun with it. it's been fun to throw it back a little bit and see some of these old pictures. >> jason, let's party like it's 1994. take it away. >> all right. ♪ now girl i know you used to the same old same but we ain't floatin' that boat no we ain't ridin' that train hop on my rocket ship let's get outta here let me put a little shimmer in your atmosphere ♪ ♪ now let's get outta this town outta this club girl whatever you're sippin' i'm gonna mix it up take a few tick toks off your

clock put a little third rock in your hip hop ♪ ♪ i got that 1994 joe diffie comin' out my radio i'm just a country boy with a farmer's tan so help me girl i'll be your pickup man how about a night to remember and a fifth of goose about to bust out my honky tonk attitude a little feel good you ain't never felt before i'm talking 1994 ♪ ♪ hey joe joe joe diffie joe, joe, joe diffie ♪ ♪ girl don't you worry now your ship just came in so go on tell your mama tell all your friends that your new favorite color is john deer green hop in this truck aka time machine ♪ ♪ 1994 joe diffie comin out my radio i'm just a country boy with a farmer's tan so help me girl i'll be your pickup man how about a night to remember

and a fifth of goose about to bust out my honky tonk attitude a little feel good you ain't never felt before i'm talkin' 1994 ♪ ♪ hey joe, joe, joe diffie joe, joe, joe diffie joe, joe, joe diffie ♪ ♪ baby if you're lookin' for a good time let me take you to the c-o-u-n-t-r-y now baby let's go holler if you're with me hey joe come on and teach us how to diffie ♪ ♪ 1994 joe diffie comin' out my radio i'm just a country boy with a farmer's tan so help me girl i'll be your pickup man how about a night to remember and a fifth of goose about to bust out my honky tonk attitude a little feel good you ain't never felt before i'm talkin' 1994 ♪ ♪ hey joe, joe, joe diffie

joe, joe, joe diffie joe, joe, joe diffie will the real joe diffie please stand up ♪ >> jason aldean, taking us back to 1994 off the album "night train." he will be back with more music later. first on a tuesday morning, a check of your local news. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. the orioles are non-smoking out of the ballpark. the maryland stadium authority announced a complete ban on smoking in venues

effective march 4, but officials at t

>> as we head into the afternoon, rain will become likely. in might start as a brief period of sleep or snow. some of it could be heavy this afternoon and into tonight. >> thank you for joining us. back with hey! did you know that honey t cheerios has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! ♪ wow.

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